A Mother’s Take on Kony 2012

The Internet is an amazing tool. A powerful weapon. So, chances are you have seen the Kony 2012 video that went viral today. If for some reason you have been living under a rock today or lost your power up until now, here’s a brief re-cap.

The video is produced by a charity called Invisible Children. The purpose of the video is to create awareness about Joseph Kony, the leader of a rebel group in Uganda who kidnaps kids and turns them into kid soldiers. It’s no doubt that he’s a murderer, rapist, and well…pure evil. The story of Jacob, a child fleeing Kony, is littered among the films’ images mixed in with the narrator’s images of his own son.

It’s no surprise that there has been a huge backlash against this video for some pretty compelling reasons. It seems that the organization behind it is sketchy at best. There’s a ton of criticism being launched at the creators of the film for their motives and also the misrepresentation of the issue. The Internet is blazing with all of it. You really should check out it.

Here’s my take on Kony 2012 for what it’s worth:

1. No one has mentioned the fact that the narrator films the moment in which he tells his son about his job in Africa. He does so by presenting his son with photographs and a description that the “bad guy steals children and then makes the children have to kill other people.” Um…his son is probably four years old. Maybe 5. This is completely inappropriate. And if this boy is indeed his son, I’m not sure what parent would knowingly and willingly shatter their child’s innocence by telling them that there is a bad man in the world who steals children and makes them kill. Not cool.
2. It is difficult to watch the images of the massive numbers of children hiding out from Kony. All I can think of is that all of those children have a mother somewhere who is weeping for them to be returned. Or dead.
3. We are spoiled, spoiled Americans. Regardless of the controversy surrounding the film, it remains that these atrocities are occurring. Mothers in Uganda have to worry about their children being ripped from their homes, terrorized, forced to become sex slaves, and tortured. This is what they have to contend with on a daily basis. Do you know what the topics of conversations were at the park today in America? We are concerned with what preschool our child got into and discussing the hazards of high fructose corn syrup. Hmm…
4. Do you know the biggest problems in our country this week? Everyone is in an uproar because Rush Limbaugh called a single lawyer a slut. And we are arguing about who will be the best candidate in an upcoming election. I’d say we have some pretty high quality problems her in America.

What were some of your reactions about Kony 2012? Was I the only mom who was appalled at the scenes in which the narrator talks about killing with his four year old son?